Cuban Public Opinion Survey September 5-October 4, 2007
Detailed Methodology The national survey is based on personal interviews. The fieldwork was conducted September 5-October 4, 2007. The sample size is 584 Cuban adults, age 18 and older. Interviews conducted in 14 of 15 Cuban provinces. The exception is Los Pinos Island, a region that is statistically irrelevant. The sample was stratified by 14 provinces, then by different sub-units within each province. The interviewers were allocated gender and age quotas they had to complete. The final selection of each interviewee was random. The sample distribution for province, gender and age are base on the 2002 Cuban Census. The margin of error is ±4 percent with a 95 percent level of confidence.
Sample Distribution
Sample Distribution: Gender and Age Gender Age Female 48.6% Male 51.4% 50 to 59 15.2% 60+ 16.0% 40 to 49 20.8% 18 to 29 22.8% 30 to 39 25.2%
Sample Distribution: Race and Education
Sample Distribution: Province
Cuba s Current Circumstance
In general, do you think that things in Cuba are going? 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 33.7% 19.9% 19.9% 15.4% 9.8% 1.4% VERY WELL WELL SO,SO BADLY VERY BADLY NO ANSWER
What do you think is the biggest problem in Cuba? FOOD SCARICTY 11.6 LOW SALARIES, HIGH COST OF LIVING EMBARGO, ISOLATION TRANSPORTATION LACK OF HOUSING, POOR HOUSING CONDITIONS LACK OF FREEDOMS, POLITICAL SYSTEM OTHER NO PROBLEM 4.8 36 3.6 3.8 4.3 6.3 18.2 42.5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Do you believe the current goverment will succeed in resolving this problem in the next few years?
If you do not believe the current government will be successful, what kind of government could best help solve this problem? (N=419)
What is the ability of the current Cuban government to solve the country s problems? (Breakdown by issue) (N = 419) 100 90 80 70 60 50 88.5 79.0 68.2 70.4 63.2 52.4 40 30 20 10 0 11.5 Low salaries, high cost of living 21.0 Lack of freedoms, political system 31.8 29.6 Food scarcity Embargo, isolation 36.8 Lack of housing, poor housing conditions 47.6 Transportation YES NO
Attitudes toward Political and Economic Change
Attitudes toward Political Change When you think about political changes that might transform the current system into a real democracy with multi-party elections, freedom of speech and freedom of expression do you believe that t those changes will improve, worsen or have no effect on your life?
Attitudes toward Political Change What do you think would improve if these political changes were to occur? EVERYTHING NOTHING FOOD SCARCITY ECONOMY WORK WE COULD CHOOSE OUR FREEDOM PARTICIPATION 4.8 4.8 5.5 2.4 5.5 WE COULD TRAVEL 5.0 7.4 15.4 18.5 0 5 10 15 20
Attitudes toward Political Change What do you think would get worse if these political changes were to occur? EVERYTHING 1.7 NOTHING 22.8 EDUCATION 27 2.7 HEALTH SERVICE 2.4 INSECURITY WILL INCREASE 11.0 SOCIAL DIVISION, SOCIAL INEQUALITY 5.3 CORRUPTION 2.4 CHANGE WILL BE VIOLENT 5.1 OTHER 11.9 NO ANSWER 34.6 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Attitudes toward Economic Change When you think about economic changes that might transform the current system into a market economy with economic freedoms, private property and the possibility of Cubans having their own businesses do you believe that these changes would improve, worsen or have no effect on your daily life?
Attitudes toward Economic Change What do you think would improve if these economic changes were to occur? EVERYTHING NOTHING FOOD SCARCITY ECONOMY WORK SALARIES WOULD IMPROVE FREEDOM PARTICIPATION WE COULD TRAVEL COMMERCE WOULD IMPROVE, MORE ACCESS TO PRODUCTS I WOULD HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROGRESS ONE CURRENCY INSTEAD OF TWO HOUSING WOULD IMPROVE OTHER NO ANSWER BETTER PURCHASING POWER 0.3 2.6 3.6 9.9 3.6 1.5 1.7 3.6 4.5 4.3 51 5.1 10.4 11.1 12.8 11.8 13 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Attitudes toward Economic Change What do you think would get worse if these economic changes were to occur? EVERYTHING NOTHING EDUCATION HEALTH SERVICE INSECURITY WILL INCREASE SOCIAL DIVISION, SOCIAL INEQUALITY CORRUPTION OUTSIDERS WILL COME TO TAKE ADVANTAGES OTHER NO ANSWER 1.0 2.7 0.9 1.7 2.1 60 6.0 9.4 9.6 28.5 37.7 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Cubans Perspectives on the Outside World
Does the situation in Cuba resemble e that of other countries, or is it unique? YES 92% 9.2% NO, IT S UNIQUE O, S U QU 90.8%
If yes, which country does Cuba resemble? (N=49) BOLIVIA 18.8 CHINA 16.7 NORTH KOREA 42 4.2 VENEZUELA 39.6 FORMER SOVIET UNION 6.3 OTHER 14.6 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Elections and Successions
Regarding the upcoming elections, do you prefer the current system, in which all the candidates are of the same ideology, or would you prefer a different system in which you could choose among candidates from different parties?
Do you think Cubans should vote to decide who succeeds Fidel Castro?
Cubans Access to Information Technology
Internet and E-Mail
Cell Phone Usage